Erin's Third Incident - Incidental?

This is a review of "Incidental?" recorded by Erin's Third Incident. The review was written by Richard Garnett in 2003.

Like many others Erin's Third Incident have yet to read the chapter in "How to make a decent demo" that covers the importance of mastering. As recent successes (The White Stripes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs) have demonstrated, there is no disadvantage to using a single guitar & drums set-up. But when missing the mixing, mastering and song writing talents it can leave you a little exposed.

ETI are packed with energy but a little obvious in their thinking. No more so in the (it worked for The Strokes) tactic of phoning in your vocals from you mates house. It does no harm but the occasional slip in to west-coast kills the desired effect. The songs are straight, employing energy over imagination and the occasionally clunky playing actually fits the bill. The band are at their best with "Frequent" and at their worst with "Reptile Tears" - "I love the fact that we're all going to die, nobody wants to live for evuuuurrrr...". Closer "The otherside" belts out a fitting end to the CD but you can't help but feel a killing bass line would make it ten times the song it currently is.

In my research I discovered the disappointing fact that ETI had once been quoted (quite possibly self-quoted) as the best band in Leeds. If this is the case then I should be holding pure gold in my hands and as it is this is a dull alloy that only glints in the right light. Such statements should be avoided at all costs, particularly as they give local reviewers a cheap way to end their scrawl!